{"product_id":"william-friedkin-the-life-and-films-of-a-cinematic-risk-taker-hardcover","title":"William Friedkin: The Life and Films of a Cinematic Risk-Taker - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eChristopher Heard\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first biography of acclaimed American film director known as \"Hurricane Billy.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWilliam Friedkin--\"Hurricane Billy\"--was a fearless, trailblazing filmmaker of the 1970s American New Wave. Born a streetwise kid in Chicago, he burst onto the scene with The People vs. Paul Crump, a documentary that helped commute a death row inmate's sentence. His eclectic early work included a film with Sonny and Cher and an adaptation of Harold Pinter's first play.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFriedkin soared to fame with The French Connection, winning an Oscar for Best Director, then shattered box-office records with The Exorcist. He risked everything for Sorcerer, his audacious masterpiece, and was vilified for Cruising. Reinventing himself yet again, he crafted the slick neo-noir To Live and Die in L.A. in the 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Loved, loathed, admired, and imitated, Friedkin was a cinematic risk-taker and master storyteller, known for his contradictions, sharp wit, and relentless pursuit of visceral, uncompromising cinema. His legacy remains as bold and unpredictable as his films.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCHRISTOPHER HEARD built his career out of a lifetime love of movie history and culture. His first screenplay was optioned at twenty-one, and he enjoyed long stints as co-creator and co-host of the long-running film talk show \u003ci\u003eReel to Real\u003c\/i\u003e, and on the Gemini Award-winning CBC program On the Arts. He has written books on a number of filmmakers and actors, including Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, James Cameron, and John Woo. He currently lives in Toronto.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 248\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 21, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47024362193085,"sku":"9781998365852","price":39.35,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0771\/9767\/2637\/files\/aqUVVIm5ow9781998365852.webp?v=1782661151","url":"https:\/\/boundigo.com\/products\/william-friedkin-the-life-and-films-of-a-cinematic-risk-taker-hardcover","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}